NHL players hit ice before 12,000 of crowd in Chicago

ROSEMONT, Ill. – Nearly 12,000 Chicago Blackhawks fans were treated to a high-scoring charity hockey fix Friday night, while the real game was the posturing between the NHL and its locked-out players.

Members of the Blackhawks' 2010 Stanley Cup team skated against a squad made up of a grab bag of other NHL players, including Anaheim's Bobby Ryan, Carolina's Jordan Staal and Minnesota defenseman Ryan Suter.

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For the record, the Blackhawks lost 16-15 in a shootout, but Chicago star Patrick Kane had five goals.

But after the NHL canceled games through November earlier Friday, much of the buzz at the Allstate Arena -- home of the AHL's Chicago Wolves -- focused on the work stoppage.

The lockout has claimed 326-regular-season contests and the NHL maintains playing a full 82-game schedule is no longer possible after a league-imposed deadline for a deal with the NHLPA passed.